FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Peggy Armstrong
(202) 220-3508
parmstrong@idfa.org

(Washington, D.C. – February 8, 2018) The International Dairy Foods Association released the following statement by Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO, regarding the inclusion of assistance for dairy farmers in the bipartisan budget bill currently under consideration by Congress.

“Last March, I joined with the National Milk Producers Federation to present the House Agriculture Committee with our basic requests for the new farm bill, which included improving the safety net for dairy farmers.

“I am happy to say that the budget package worked out by a bipartisan group of congressional leaders on Wednesday includes provisions that will do just that. The package will eliminate a $20 million cap on livestock insurance, allow new policies tailored to dairy farmers to be developed and bolster the Margin Protection Program.

“This effort sets us up to tackle the 2018 Farm Bill, due September 30, efficiently and effectively. It is a win for the dairy industry as a whole and we are grateful to the members of the House and Senate who made it happen.”

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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which employs nearly 1 million skilled individuals, generates more than $39 billion in direct wages and has an overall economic impact of more than $200 billion. IDFA is the umbrella organization for the Milk Industry Foundation (MIF), the National Cheese Institute (NCI) and the International Ice Cream Association (IICA).

Our members range from large multinational organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Our diverse membership includes numerous food retailers, suppliers and companies that offer infant formula and a wide variety of milk ingredients.